


Only Us

by waitingforaflame



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora and Catra talk about where they stand, Cute, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Post Heart Part 2, Romance, Sweet, Talking, admitting feelings, just a smidge of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24939535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingforaflame/pseuds/waitingforaflame
Summary: “I want to say some stuff. It’s been sitting on my chest all day, and I want to tell you. I do. I’m just…” She looks down at their hands again and swallows. “I’m scared.”“Horde Prime is gone,” Adora says, caressing Catra’s knuckles with her thumb. “You don’t have to be scared, anymore. He isn’t going to hurt you, not ever again.”“It’s not him I’m scared of. It’s this,” Catra confesses, her voice cracking. “Us.”-After the war, Catra and Adora still have a few things left to talk about.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 400





	Only Us

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet! Based on the song "Only Us" from Dear Evan Hansen. Highly advise to give that a listen as you read!

With everything at peace, Glimmer suggests they return to Bright Moon and celebrate. They avoid the castle and camp out at the edge of the Whispering Woods, and everybody scrambles to put something together. Micah conjures a fire. Perfuma, Scorpia and Frosta forage the woods for berries, and Glimmer takes Bow and teleports back to the castle to prepare something a little heartier. Entrapta wanders off with Hordak not long after they arrive, and Mermista and Sea Hawk take care of the immediate fallout with the clones so that they don’t have to worry about it. 

No one lets Adora do a thing, even though she insists several times that she wants to. Every time she tries, Spinerella shoots out a gust of air that turns her right around, and Netossa threatens to trap her with a net. Catra gets a kick out of watching it all go down. 

The party isn’t anything elaborate. For the most part, they mainly sit around the fire and just share stories. Thoughts. Ideas on how to rebuild and recover and learn. Adora doesn’t let go of Catra’s hand, not once. She stays by her side and laughs at the jokes, shares her own ideas. 

At some point, Catra excuses herself for some air. Between all of the tears, and the hope, and the laughter, she finds her throat going thick and is unable to breathe. Melog follows, and Adora calls out to her to hurry back soon, lest Bow start singing again. 

Finally alone, Catra wanders. She strays into the woods that once scared her, searching for refuge. Thoughts have been plaguing her for the better part afternoon. Not sappy, tearful thoughts like the ones shared between the rebellion. Loud thoughts. Painful thoughts. Catra needs some time to process them, without all the added noise of the party. 

“You get it, don’t you?” Catra says to Melog as she nestles herself on the grass. Melog presses their head to the palm on her hand. They do. She doesn’t say much to them after that. In the silence, her thoughts run wild, eager for attention. 

She isn’t alone for long, though. Melog gets to their feet and leaves Catra, so she knows that Adora’s here. Catra lifts her head from atop her knees, her tail swinging slightly back and forth as Adora comes up beside her, carrying a plate of sweets in her hands. “What are you doing?”

“Eating dessert.” 

“No, like, here. What are you doing here, with me?” Catra grimaces at how bitter the words sound outside the context of her mind; she isn’t bitter, or upset. Not in the least. “I mean, I thought everyone would be kind of all over She-Ra, wanting to celebrate and stuff,” she adds, quick as she can. She doesn’t want Adora to think she’s reverted. 

“They are.” Adora takes a seat beside her, butterfly-style, and sets the plate to the side. “But you were gone for a while, so I went looking for you. And well, here I am,” she concludes, tilting her head to the side so she can better look at Catra. “Are you partied out?” 

Catra collapses back on the grass, staring up into the night sky. “Something like that. It’s a nice celebration, though. You should go back.” 

“Nah. To tell you the truth, I’m exhausted,” Adora admits with a shaky chuckle. “Which is weird, you know? After everything, I just got this rush of energy. I felt like I could do anything. But now… now it feels like I’ve been run over by a tank, and all I want to do is sleep.” 

“Me too.” The exhaustion has been nibbling at Catra’s stomach for hours, now. Like Adora, when the dust settled, she couldn’t stop smiling. With Adora holding onto her hand, she felt like she could take on the world. It didn’t take long for her thoughts to start ruining things. A crisp breeze comes through and ruffles her fur, and she takes a deep breath. “Not just yet, though.” 

“You look like you’re lost in thought. Something on your mind?” Adora pauses, and laughs. “Sorry, that’s a dumb question. After the day we’ve had…” she trails off, blowing out some air. 

Catra shakes her head, keeping her eyes away from the stars in the sky. “I’m okay.” 

“Hey.” Adora takes her hand. “Don’t do that, don’t close up. Talk to me.” 

The words are so innocent, so simple. Talk to her. As if it’s the easiest thing in the world. A few hours ago, it was. Catra had felt like everything was different, that it would all be clean, and fun, and easy. That was before she let her insecurities take over. She always finds a way to ruin everything good, why should this be any different?

Still. She has to try. 

After a deep breath, she tears her gaze away from the sky and looks down. First to their hands, and then to Adora’s face. “You said you loved me,” Catra forces herself to say, even though every instinct in her body yells at her to hold it in. “Why?”

Adora’s eyes narrow in confusion. “What do you mean, why?”

“I mean…” Catra’s ears tilt downwards and she huffs in frustration. Yesterday, she might have shoved everything down and walked away from it all. So much has changed since then. She doesn’t want to go back to the way she was before, so Catra forces herself up from the grass and turns towards Adora. “I want to say some stuff. It’s been sitting on my chest all day, and I want to tell you. I do. I’m just…” She looks down at their hands again and swallows. “I’m scared.” 

“Horde Prime is gone,” Adora says, caressing Catra’s knuckles with her thumb. “You don’t have to be scared, anymore. He isn’t going to hurt you, not ever again.”

“It’s not him I’m scared of. It’s this,” Catra confesses, her voice cracking. “Us.” 

The worry lines on Adora’s brow appear as her perplexed look deepens. “You’re scared of us? I… don’t understand. We love each other. What’s there to be scared of?”

Catra makes an attempt to start several sentences in response, but none of them come to fruition. The words lodge in her throat each time she tries. She pinches her temple with the hand that isn’t holding Adora’s and tries to calm the frantic thumping of her heart. Adora’s going to hate her. She’s going to think she made it all up, and leave her, and— 

“It’s okay,” Adora breathes. She places her other hand on Catra’s thigh, giving it a warm squeeze. “You can tell me. Take your time.” 

With Adora’s blessing, Catra does just that. She can hear the faint sound of Bow’s guitar and what she can only assume is some type of accordion playing in the distance. The party must have calmed down a bit. Focusing on something else, something other than the choking feeling in her throat, helps her breathe again. 

Once her words have returned to her, Catra takes a deep inhale and looks in Adora’s eyes. “I want to try something. I want to say my piece, and I don’t want you to say anything until I’m done.” She laughs nervously to herself. “Because if you do, I… I don’t think I’ll be able to push myself and say everything I need to.” 

Adora nods and pulls her knees to her chest. “Of course. I’m here.” 

“So… today happened. We said we loved each other, and we kissed. It was incredible,” Catra begins, her tail curling up by her side. “And everything I said today, it was true. I do love you, I love you so much that my heart jumps out of my chest just about every time I look at you. But never, not once, did I think there was a possibility that you could love me back.” 

Catra buries a hand in the grass, refusing to let herself pull at the blades. Instead, she sets her palm on the ground and lets the energy of Etheria ground her. “Because how could you, _you_ , love someone like me?” she continues. Adora is silent, beside her. She waits for her to cut in, to say something, but she never does. “Don’t you remember everything I’ve done? All the pain I’ve caused…” Her stomach lurches as she thinks about it. Salineas, in ruins at her very hand. All the people she’s hurt, physically, mentally. Entrapta. Glimmer. 

“Glimmer’s mom is gone because of me,” she rasps, her voice hardly above a whisper. “Glimmer told me, when we were on Horde Prime’s ship. And I almost destroyed Etheria. So I just… can’t wrap my mind around how you could ever love me back. I’m not worth loving. Not yet.”

Adora grips her hand tighter, and she moves to say something, but Catra shakes her head and stops her. “I meant what I said, on the ship. I’m done hurting people. I want to be better, I want to be a person worthy of your love.” She narrows her eyes in determination. “I’ll help rebuild Salineas, and I’ll talk with Perfuma and learn to work out my issues. I’ll let Scorpia hug me, and… and I’ll even let Frosta deck me again, if she wants to.” 

She means to finish here, but Adora stays quiet. Another breeze wafts in Catra’s face and gives her goosebumps that only intensify the cold pit in her stomach. It’s not enough. She has to do more. “Tell me what else I can do,” she all but pleads. “I’ll do it. I’ll do just about anything to prove to you that I’ll change, and become someone you’ll be proud to love.” 

More silence. 

Catra lets go of Adora’s hand and buries both of hers underneath her thighs. She can’t let her see them shaking. If Adora feels bad for her, she might forgive her. Catra doesn’t want it to be that easy. Melog sidles up next to her and nudges her arm until she forfeits a hand and wraps it around their head. It helps. 

“I’m done,” Catra exhales. “Please say something.”

Adora doesn’t. Not right away, at least. She stares ahead, arms wrapped around her knees, her mouth in a hard line. Melog leaves Catra and shifts attention to Adora, wandering over and plopping down by her feet, mewling softly. Finally, the hard line dissolves into a tender smile, and she scratches Melog’s head. “Now who’s being the idiot?” she asks, turning to look at Catra. 

“What?” 

“You heard me.” Satisfied with the scratches, Melog closes their eyes and relaxes by Adora’s feet, allowing her to put her full attention on Catra. “Now it’s my turn to talk, okay?”

Catra nods. 

“You act like you’re the only one who’s made mistakes,” Adora reveals with a sad smile. “I’ve made them too. I have so many regrets, Catra. I don’t belong on such a high pedestal, or any pedestal at all.” 

“But—” 

“No, my turn,” Adora reminds. “I’m not going to excuse the things you’ve done in the past. They were bad. It makes me really happy to hear that you want to keep taking steps to fix things. I’ve seen you trying, and I’m so proud of you.” Catra’s breath hitches in her throat as Adora reaches for her hand again. Once she has it, Adora presses it tight with both her hands. It’s a warm feeling, one that Catra never wants to end. “I meant what I said before, at the Heart of Etheria. I love you. You don’t have to convince me, or prove anything. I want you now, as you are.” 

The way Adora says those words, it sounds so clear. Effortless. As if the thoughts that had caused Catra such agony for hours are completely unsubstantiated. 

“It can’t be that easy.” 

Adora takes Catra’s hand and places it on her cheek, smiling fondly. “Why can’t it?” 

This time, it’s Catra who’s unable to respond. She can’t even allow herself to enjoy the feeling of Adora’s cheek in her palm. Didn’t Adora hear her, before? Why is she being so calm, so blasé about it all?

“I can see what you’re thinking, you know.” 

Catra snatches her hand away and blushes. “No, you can’t. Shut up.”

“Sure I can. It’s written all over your face.” Brazenly, Adora pushes herself to her knees and takes Catra’s face in her hands before kissing her swiftly. Catra squeaks in surprise, the blush deepening. The spark is there, just as it was before. Adora’s lips are still soft, and they taste sweet, like everything she imagined. After a few moments, Adora pulls away and grins. “Stop thinking. Do you love me?” 

“Yes,” Catra answers without a second of hesitation.

“Great. I love you, too. Can we go to bed now?” 

“You go ahead.” Despite the weariness that hangs heavy on her body, Catra doesn’t want to leave just yet. If she goes with Adora, she accepts that everything is normal and they move on. The thing is, she doesn’t accept it. Not just yet. 

Adora pouts, catching on. While out of tune with her own feelings, she’s pretty good at deciphering Catra’s. On a surface level, at least. She holds out her hand for Catra to take. “Come here.”

The invite is too tempting for Catra to resist, so she takes Adora’s hand and allows her to gently tug her into her lap. Almost immediately, her frantic nerves and restless thoughts start to calm. Adora’s hold is warm and strong, and for the first time, there’s no potential threat looming over their heads. No more Shadow Weaver, or Horde Prime to think about. Just them. 

“Today was scary,” Adora says, squeezing Catra’s thigh as she talks. “I almost… _we_ almost…” she bites her lip and shakes her head. “But we didn’t. You helped me save the world.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Stop.” Adora grabs her chin, forcing Catra to look at her. “Stop minimizing yourself. You said you loved me and that brought me back. You helped me save Etheria. Catra, you did everything.” 

Catra clenches her jaw to stop the tears, but her eyes well up anyway. Not once, in all of her thinking, did she consider it from that angle. 

“We can sit here, and pick apart the past few years until we’re both broken on the inside, but I really don’t want to.” Adora strokes Catra’s chin with her thumb, a feeling so soft that Catra isn’t entirely sure that she’s awake. It doesn’t feel real. “I’m done living in the past. We can’t change anything that’s happened. All we can do is try to do better, and move forward.”

“I want that, too. More than anything,” Catra mumbles, craning her head closer to Adora as she starts scratching behind her ear. The purring that follows is immediate, and loud. She’s content like this. “It’s just hard, I guess. I’ve been thinking this way for so long, even when you said you loved me… I don’t know, I don’t think I let myself believe it.” 

Adora chuckles, changing the position of her hand so she’s scratching under Catra’s jaw with a tenderness the feline hasn’t felt in years. “Do you believe me, now?” 

“I think I’m starting to. What if I mess it up, though?” 

“You won’t. We might make mistakes, and it’ll probably take time for us to figure out how to do this—”

“A lot of time,” Catra cuts in. “There wasn’t exactly a relationships course in the Horde.” 

“How would you know? It’s not like you actually attended the courses,” Adora teases, yelping when Catra shoves her with her elbow. 

“Whatever. All I’m saying is yeah, I agree.” 

“Good.” 

Catra expects Adora to pull her up and ask her to come to bed again, but she doesn’t. They just sit there, in the peacefulness of the Whispering Woods, taking it all in. She doesn’t know about Adora, but she can spend forever like this. She wants to spend forever like this, with her. 

“Hey, Adora?”

“Yeah?”

“I like this,” Catra says, looking down at her fingers. “Us, I mean.”

Adora looks down at her and nods, pushing some hair out of Catra’s eyes. “Me too.” With a content sigh, she makes herself more comfortable in the grass, holding Catra tighter. “I didn’t even know how long I’ve been waiting for this. I know things are going to be crazy as we start to rebuild Etheria, and then we have that interplanetary road trip to plan… but, for now, I want to just focus on us. To hold you, and kiss you, and make up for lost time.” 

“Only us?” Catra asks, moving her hands to cup Adora’s face. 

“Yeah. I want to be happy with you. Can we try that?” 

Catra’s purring grows louder. She leans forward and kisses Adora, just like she did in the Heart. The rest of the world falls away, and she sees what Adora means. It’s just the two of them there, and nobody else. “We can.” She leans her head on Adora’s shoulder, closing her eyes. “I think I’m ready for sleep, now.” 

“Well don’t fall asleep on me.”

Her eyes closed, Catra smirks. “Why? You’ll carry me.” 

“Will not.” Without ceremony, Adora tosses her to the floor, instinctively backing away as Catra hisses. Melog bristles along with her, and Catra has to calm herself lest they go on attack. She really has to be more careful about that, now.

“I hate you.”

With a wink, Adora turns around and starts heading back. “No, you don’t. You _love_ me,” she teases with a sing-song voice. 

Right. This is so going to become a thing, and it’s going to annoy Catra until the end of time. But because it’s true, she can’t be too angry. So instead she just catches up to Adora, Melog running after them, and slings an arm around her. “Guess I do. But you’re still an idiot.”

“I know.” 

That line will grow old, too, but Catra has time to think of some better ones. Plenty of time. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider sharing on Twitter/Tumblr ♥️


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